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3.59 AVERAGE
3.59 AVERAGE
I love the author but I just,,,, this was one of the most cliche and boring books I've ever read. I'm going to go hug my copies of the false prince and pretend that I didn't read this.
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Pre-read
at risk of sounding petty, if this isn't good I'm suing
--
Pre-read
at risk of sounding petty, if this isn't good I'm suing
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
funny
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
No one knows where Kestra Dallisor has spent the last three years. It's better that way. The longer she can hide, the longer she can avoid becoming a pawn in her father’s political machinations to strengthen his ties to the cruel Lord Endrick. But the time for hiding has ended and Kestra has been called home.
When Kestra is kidnapped en route she faces an impossible bargain: find the Olden Blade to spare the lives of her captive servants and herself.
Simon, one of her kidnappers, doesn't know what to make of Kestra. She is not at all like the girl he expects, certainly nothing not the girl he remembers from his childhood. But she’s also the only hope he and his people have of finding the Olden Blade and reclaiming their freedom.
There are no winners in the traitor’s game. But that won’t stop Kestra or Simon playing for all they’re worth in The Traitor's Game (2018) by Jennifer A. Nielsen.
The Traitor's Game is the first book in Nielsen's new YA series. The book alternates between Kestra and Simon's first person narrations.
Nielsen delivers high action, political machinations and the intrigue readers of her middle grade novels have come to expect. Despite some unique flourishes in the world building, this is a fairly familiar story as a lost heir tries to reclaim that which was taken by the conquerors.
Kestra and Simon are interesting foils but lack the chemistry needed for their tension and changing dynamic to sustain an entire book. Their voices in alternating chapters are often indistinguishable. The prose often feels sanitized as violence and danger is pushed off the page for readers to imagine instead of being vividly described--this choice means that the novel can work well for younger readers but also creates a stark contrast between the descriptions of the world and the actual reading experience.
The Traitor's Game is a familiar addition to the fantasy genres. Sparse world building and under developed characters feel like missed opportunities in what could have been a far richer story. Recommended for fans of the author and readers seeking a strictly plot driven fantasy.
Possible Pairings: Grace and Fury by Tracy Banghart, Everless by Sarah Holland, The Orphan Queen by Jodi Meadows, The Kiss of Deception by Mary E. Pearson, Snow Like Ashes by Sarah Raasch, The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkoski, Ash Princess by Laura Sebastian
When Kestra is kidnapped en route she faces an impossible bargain: find the Olden Blade to spare the lives of her captive servants and herself.
Simon, one of her kidnappers, doesn't know what to make of Kestra. She is not at all like the girl he expects, certainly nothing not the girl he remembers from his childhood. But she’s also the only hope he and his people have of finding the Olden Blade and reclaiming their freedom.
There are no winners in the traitor’s game. But that won’t stop Kestra or Simon playing for all they’re worth in The Traitor's Game (2018) by Jennifer A. Nielsen.
The Traitor's Game is the first book in Nielsen's new YA series. The book alternates between Kestra and Simon's first person narrations.
Nielsen delivers high action, political machinations and the intrigue readers of her middle grade novels have come to expect. Despite some unique flourishes in the world building, this is a fairly familiar story as a lost heir tries to reclaim that which was taken by the conquerors.
Kestra and Simon are interesting foils but lack the chemistry needed for their tension and changing dynamic to sustain an entire book. Their voices in alternating chapters are often indistinguishable. The prose often feels sanitized as violence and danger is pushed off the page for readers to imagine instead of being vividly described--this choice means that the novel can work well for younger readers but also creates a stark contrast between the descriptions of the world and the actual reading experience.
The Traitor's Game is a familiar addition to the fantasy genres. Sparse world building and under developed characters feel like missed opportunities in what could have been a far richer story. Recommended for fans of the author and readers seeking a strictly plot driven fantasy.
Possible Pairings: Grace and Fury by Tracy Banghart, Everless by Sarah Holland, The Orphan Queen by Jodi Meadows, The Kiss of Deception by Mary E. Pearson, Snow Like Ashes by Sarah Raasch, The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkoski, Ash Princess by Laura Sebastian
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I think this is more of a middle-of-the-road book. It's not unique by any means and is definitely clunky in some areas, but it's not the worst book I've ever read. There was an attempt at subverting common tropes, but failed to do so by making the trope true in the end (I'm being intentionally vague, but just when you think there's something interesting/new-ish being done it reverts back to classic ya fantasy). I also found the characterization of Trina very inconsistent. The middle chunk is the best part, with the beginning probably being the worst (I almost dnfed it but I kept to my fifty page rule). I know this seems like an overwhelmingly negative review, but with such an underwhelming book, the flaws are more visible.